Construction toy

ABSTRACT

A construction toy comprises a plurality of struts and a plurality of strut joining or interconnecting pieces. The struts are elongated members each having a ball at both ends, and each joining piece has at least two sockets each to receive and retain a strut ball. The strut balls are rotatable in the joining piece sockets, thus allowing the struts to be disposed at different angular positions relative to the sockets.

This invention relates to construction toys.

Toys comprising generalised parts from which models can be constructed are well known. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,491,563, a plurality of flexible struts is disclosed in combination with a plurality of spherical nodes. At each end the struts have a ball and each node has six sockets each to receive a respective ball and facing in different direction so that struts can be joined by nodes to make a-three dimensional structure. In the arrangement disclosed, if the struts were inflexible, the structures which could be made would be limited to those in which struts are parallel-or mutually orthogonal.

Against this background, in accordance with one aspect, the invention provides construction toy, comprising a plurality of joining pieces and a plurality of struts each having two ends, each strut having a ball at both ends and each joining piece having at least two sockets each to receive and retain a respective ball and being so dimensioned as to leave a portion of each ball outside the socket to enable the strut to be located in different angular positions relative to the socket.

In another aspect, the invention provides a construction toy, comprising a plurality of joining pieces and a plurality of struts each having two ends, each end having a cross sectional dimension, each strut having a ball attached to respective ends, each ball having a diameter, and each joining piece having at least two sockets each having a mouth to receive and retain a respective ball, the mouth having a cross sectional dimension smaller than the diameter of the ball and greater than the cross sectional dimension of the strut, to enable the strut to be located in different angular positions relative to the socket.

Although not limited to inflexible struts, the invention does allow their use, and more generally allows the strut to project from a socket in variable directions.

Preferably, the joining pieces are generally spherical.

In one form the joining pieces each have at least six sockets.

The toy may include a base-plate having a face providing an array of sockets. A structure may thus be constructed on a base by using the base plate.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view, partly in cross section of a strut and two joining pieces from a construction toy embodying the invention;

FIG. 1 a is an enlargement of a portion of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 2 is a cross section of a base plate for use in the toy of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the construction toy includes a plurality of struts 2 each of which has a centre section 4 having a cruciform cross section (not illustrated). At each end of the centre section 4 the strut has a ball 6.

The toy also has a plurality of joining; pieces each in the form of generally spherical bodies 8. Each body 8 has at least two sockets 10. Preferably there are at least six sockets 10. In the case illustrated there are 14, the other side of the bodies being identical, there may be more.

Each socket 10 has a re-entrant shape which corresponds to part of a sphere having approximately the same diameter as the diameter Db of the balls 6. Each socket has a mouth 12 which has a cross sectional dimension in the form of a diameter Dm which is a little smaller that the diameter Db of the ball 6, so that the ball is retained in the socket and a part of the ball is left out of the socket. To this end, the diameter Dm of the mouth is larger than the largest cross-sectional dimension Ds of the strut at the junction between the centre section and the ball. The bodies 8 and/or the balls 6 are made from a material which is sufficiently flexible to allow the balls to be inserted in the sockets, and which is sufficiently rigid to retain the balls in the sockets against accidental removal. The balls may be formed integrally with the centre section of the struts. The bodies and/or the struts may be moulded from a suitable plastics material.

As may be seen from FIG. 1 in which the strut is shown in two positions, one in full outline and the other in broken outline, the arrangement allows the struts to be located in different angular positions relative to the joining pieces.

In FIG. 2, a cross section of a portion of a base plate 14 is illustrated. In one face 16, the base plate has a two dimensional array of equally spaced sockets 10 (only one dimension is illustrated in the cross section). The base plate is made from a similar material to that of the bodies 8 and the sockets are of similar dimensions to those in the bodies 8, so as to function in the same way. A structure constructed from the toy may thus be given a firm unitary base using the, base plate. 

1. A construction toy, comprising a plurality of joining pieces and a plurality of struts each having two ends, each strut having a ball at both ends and each joining piece having at least two sockets each to receive and retain a respective ball and being so dimensioned as to leave a portion of each ball outside the socket to enable the strut to be located in different angular positions relative to the socket.
 2. A toy as claimed in claim 1, wherein the joining pieces are generally spherical.
 3. A toy as claimed in claim 1, wherein the joining pieces each have at least six sockets.
 4. A toy as claimed in claim 1, including a base-plate having a face providing an array of sockets.
 5. A construction toy, comprising a plurality of joining pieces and a plurality of struts each having two ends, each end having a cross sectional dimension, each strut having a ball attached to respective ends, each ball having a diameter, and each joining piece having at least two sockets each having a mouth to receive and retain a respective ball, the mouth having a cross sectional dimension smaller than the diameter of the ball and greater than the cross sectional dimension of the strut, to enable the strut to be located in different angular positions relative to the socket.
 6. A toy as claimed in claim 5, wherein the joining pieces are generally spherical.
 7. A toy as claimed in claim 5, wherein the joining pieces each have at least six sockets.
 8. A toy as claimed in claim 5, including a base-plate having a face providing an array of sockets. 